She's Just Dope

Top 4 Easy & Creative Gifts for the Holidays

It’s that time of year, well duh, we are literally 1 week away from Christmas!! I know I’m not alone when I say…the excitement kind of goes away when you’re an adult. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the holidays. Spending time with family, starting new traditions, the Holiday movies, and of COURSE the gift giving!!

Let me take back my first statement, I LOVE giving all year, but for Christmas, it’s a little different. Now, you can save and shop on Black Friday, Cyber week and so forth. You can Amazon your way through your Christmas list, or you can simply pull out your creative hat and just BE CREATIVE!

Now, I know some of you aren’t as creative as others, however, between YouTube, TikTok, and good old Pinterest, there is something you can definitely find to tackle your holiday list. Here are just a few examples I have found…

Top 5 Creative Gifts for the Holidays

Sangria for Friends: from fantabulosity.com, this is a simple gift that can be used over and over again. Favorite Drink, add fruit, stirring utensil, and a note. How cute is this!!!

Hot Chocolate Bombs: from OwlBBaking.com, this is the cutest idea and easier to make than it looks. Follow these steps:

1 Cocoa powder, Hot

1 Peppermint candy, soft

Other Mini marshmallows (fresh or dehydrated work!)

1 hour · Serves 3 · A Hot Chocolate Bomb is a hollow, chocolate shell filled with hot cocoa mix and marshmallows. Place in a mug, pour on hot milk and watch the marshmallows float to the top! Give it a quick stir and you’ll have a cozy warm cup of chocolatey goodness.

Lottery Ticket Ornaments: honestly, who doesn’t like money? If you give them a chance to WIN BIG, they will love you for a lifetime. This simple, inexpensive gift is super easy to make. Go to your local craft store, purchase a clear plastic ornament, add the lottery tickets inside, tie a bow and BOOM…

Apple Cinnamon Sugar Scrub: from ClassyClutter.com, this super easy scrub is perfect for anyone on your gift list.

Apple Cinnamon Sugar Scrub - www.classyclutter.net

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon Apple Pie Spice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 – 3/4 cup of coconut oil

Pint size mason jar(s)

Instructions:

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients until you are happy with the consistency. I mixed all the dry ingredients and gradually added the coconut oil (melted or use liquid coconut oil for cooking) until it felt like a good consistency. You don’t want it too oily but you definitely don’t want it dry. Mix it to your own personal taste. Pour into a pint size jar and wrap it up for a gift or treat yourself to a hot bubble bath.

There you have it! Easy and creative gift ideas for anyone on your Christmas list. Well, except for kids, but hey, switch up a few items and just BE CREATIVE!!!

If you just don’t want to do the creative thing, check out our online store at TheTShirtChic.com or if you want to be a little Naughty this Holiday try LetsGetFlirty.com. I mean, hey, Valentine’s Day is around the corner…wink, wink.

Stay Dope!!

XO, Dope Chic

Take a step back and…

Hey guys, it’s been a few days, maybe a few weeks. Ya girl had to take a step back and reflect on a few things. No, No, nothing bad, as a matter of fact it’s all good really. It was just one of those things where life began moving waaayyy too fast and I wanted to slow down a minute, take a step back and…enjoy the moments.

Yeah, I’m super sentimental that way. I’m the chick that would go out on a beautiful day, barefoot in the grass and just appreciate the scenery, the smells, the place I stand at that exact moment.

Have you had a chance to sit back and think? Sit and enjoy that one moment in life? I take moments, nothing scheduled, but just whenever the mood hits me, or if I feel as if I’m beginning to forget my blessings, forgetting to live, or even that feeling of picking up on someone else’s emotions… You gotta step back and…enjoy the moments. Enjoy YOUR moments, not anyone else’s.

There will be a time when you think on all of the things you did and didn’t do. Could’ve, should’ve… why wait until then? If there is something you’ve been wanting to try…do it. If it works out, enjoy that moment. If it doesn’t work it, learn from that moment and do something else.

We only get one life, why are we stressing, worrying, wandering ?? STOP, take a step back and…

Enjoy the moment.

XO,

J. Robinson, Dope Chic

JUST DO IT!!!

Have you ever had that lil itch? You know, the one that naws at you when you have to wait until payday or you finally get your check and become full of frustration??

You know, the Entrepreneurial Itch… With everything going on and no guarantee of job security that itch just gets worse.

Well, JUST DO IT!!!

When I was a child, I knew I wanted to be a BOSS. My actual words were “Thee SuperStar!” True Story.

I would be that kid coming up with all kinds of ways to make money…

Candy sales
Candy apples
Toys (yes, I actually set my toys outside to make money… no one drive by…it was like noon, on a weekday)
Writing plays
Doing hair

The list can go on… the kicker is, as I grew older, that promise of being a BOSS never went away.

So, as luck would have it…and the fact that Hubby was out to sea and we needed some extra funds… I decided to just do it.

My first business was Basket creations. I was extremely happy with my final product. Super picky on the basket that held everything. They were all themed and they definitely stood out from others… then, I wanted more.

My next venture was an Intimate Adult Accessory and Lingerie business. I knew we needed a niche, so we focused on Game nights. It was a great experience, for myself and my clients.

Click here to check Flirty Passion out

I did that for awhile, but then, I wanted more…that itch, that thought…JUST DO IT.

Then Designer Chic Designs was created. This was my pride and joy. Merging my love for Art / Celebration / Design… I was loving every moment.

However, after coordinating high school proms, local events, and intimate social gatherings I began to add to my services.

At the time, my daughter was a cheerleader. I was definitely THAT MOM who needed a shirt for EVERYTHING!! I couldn’t find anyone to do it, so I figured…JUST DO IT… and I did. From then on in, custom T-shirt design was added and became one of my staple services.

However, while doing a few custom designs, there were a few ideas I had in mind for certain looks. I figured, why not make our own line…I thought, JUST DO IT, and The T-SHIRT Chic was born.

Again, I’m LOVING what I do. I get up in the mornings ready to get things moving.

Do you wake up ready and super psyched to do what you do everyday? If not…Just Do It

Do you have that nagging itch that comes and goes? Just Do It

Have you had an idea, but afraid to even GO there?? Stop, Take a breath, and Just do it

Starting something new is definitely scary. What’s even scarier and an all around sucky feeling, is:

NOT knowing if your job is secure
NOT having a plan
NOT knowing what WOULD HAVE happened if you actually tried

So why not?

JUST DO IT!!!!

– J. Robinson, Dope Chic

Color makes a difference…

Hey y’all!! I woke up this morning feeling pretty Blah. I had a very trying week while working in my creative space and it just made it hard to, well, be creative!

Thing is, being creative is what I do!! I can’t have another week of:

Delayed shipments from my printer
Equipment not working properly
Not feeling well at all
Paperwork, Paperwork, Paperwork

It’s so crazy but when you are a creative like me, the simplest things could knock you off your game.

After my arm injury, it’s been hard keeping up with working out and going hard to get my endorphins pumping.

Getting my endorphin drip always start my day and helps with the creative process. However, that’s not the only thing that gets the creativity flowing.

I have to dress the part as well. When I’m feeling blah and not really feeling creative, I try to find colors in my closet to pick me up a little.

Have you ever paid attention to how you feel in certain colors? Think about it:

Yellow-bright and cheery
Red-Sexy/Seductive
Black-Alluring/Mysterious/Professional
Blue-Calm/laidback
Pink-Fun/Flirty/Creative

These are just a few examples of how certain colors can make you feel. Whenever I feel as though I need a pick-me-up, I go through my closet to find a color that makes me feel good.

Click here for a “pick me up” tee

What are your go to colors? Try to find a “thing” that gets you motivated in the mornings.

– J. Robinson, Dope Chic

Empathy, try it…

So this happened…I’m driving down a two way street and I notice in my rear view a car LITERALLY on my bumper! I give the car a little gas, thinking I’m going too slow and they speed up as well.

Immediately, I began to get upset. In my mind, well, it actually came out my mouth as well… I’m thinking, “What the Heck, get off my BUTT!!” Obviously, this person has somewhere to be. So I politely pull over to the side and let them pass, only to see them speed up, just to stop at the same red light I’m going to.

I pull up beside the car, only to notice the driver is in tears. My first thought is, OMG is she alright? Light turns green, she’s off again.

We’ve all been there

I never got a chance to find out what the issue was and really, how could I, I didn’t know her. We were just two cars on the same street.

However, my mind began to wonder as to what could have possibly been the problem.

I automatically started to feel like crap with all of the things I said in my mind and out loud…but, honestly, she could have really been having a terrible day.

I know this has happened to many of us. If not, it will or something close to it. We’ve all had terrible days.

Terrible Days:

You’re late to work and this is the last chance you have, but EVERYTHING went wrong and honestly prevented you from getting there on time.
The dog decides to destroy a project you’ve been working on for months.
Death in the family
Car troubles
A customer goes off on you for something you didn’t do, but you can’t say or do anything because your boss is on your butt about “customer is always right.”
Arguments with your spouse before work
Found out the love of your life has been lying or cheating
You get blamed for something you clearly didn’t do
Pulled over by the wrong cop

The list can go on… my point is, We don’t know what the other person has going on in their lives at that moment. Many times, people snap/flip out/become extremely upset with you for something simple because there is an underlying issue they are dealing with.

We are all human, we’ve all done it. Unfortunately, we are like dump trucks. We start the day fresh and ready to conquer the world. We run into one, maybe two people who aren’t doing so well today and they dump their problems, issues, and anger on us. We sit and most of the time take it.

Then, as the day goes on, more problems come about…adding to the truck. By the time we think we can get a break and let off some steam, someone comes and puts the icing on the cake…your truck is full and you start dumping everything out on them… on the outside, you just look and sound like a complete jerk. However, on the inside, you’re tired, hurt, and half the time you just need a hug.

Let’s try using a little empathy when encountering someone who gets ticked off easy or seems to be super agitated and you know you did nothing wrong.

Half the time, we just gotta let it out. Give off some steam. Dump-Your-Truck…

When encountering this type of situation, breathe and just let them say what’s needed. If it’s a friend, let them vent then say, you ok? Stranger, just say have a blessed day and don’t take it personally.

Remember, we’ve all been there and don’t know what the other is going through. We’re all human…

Share a little empathy…

– J. Robinson, Dope Chic

Click here to Feel better with a Tee and say it with yo chest!!!

This is some Bull-ish!!!

I’ve tried to not write in this topic.

I’ve tried to keep my piece.

However, this is some STRAIGHT UP BULL-ish!!!

I’m a Mother of 2 Black young men…

I’m a Mother of a Strong Black, College Graduate that speaks up for herself…

I’m a Wife of a Black King…

I’m proud of my family but I’m also freaking scared out of my mind when they leave the house without me. When my husband leaves to work, I drop down to my knees everyday and say my prayers.

My boys want to hang with their cousins and just be kids, My daughter Loves to travel… I worry about the “what if’s” that could happen.

I shouldn’t have to live like this! We shouldn’t have to live like this!!! This is some BULL-ISH!!!

Please understand, when I say “Black Lives Matter” that’s just what I mean. Not saying All lives DON’T matter, but right now, our BLACK lives are the ones being targeted…again.

When will this ish stop? Why is it, that my skin color seem to be a threat of some kind?

– Black + Hoodie= Menace/Thief

– Black + Dredlocks/Natural Hair=Unkept/Unprofessional

– Black + Colored Hair=Ghetto

– Black + Upset=Another angry black girl

I could keep going with this, but let me breakdown what those equations really add up to:

-Black + Hoodie=it’s freaking cold

-Black + Dredlocks/Natural Hair=Embracing the natural hair we have, chemical free (may as well say “going green”) for you to understand.

-Black+Colored Hair=Eccentric/Vibrant/Full of Life

-Black+Upset=speaking up to the injustice we face/speaking up for what’s right/speaking up PERIOD-POINT-BLANK!

It seems as if EVERYTHING we say or do is a problem. We ask for help-We wait for Authorities-We peacefully protest….We are STILL in the Wrong!!!

With everything going on, COVID-19, Police Violence, Killer Hornets, Class Of 2020 not being able to walk… this is depressing.

Video after Video after Video…

Sorry, NOT Sorry to vent but….

-J. Robinson, Dope Chic

–

Pump yourself up…Stop being so negative!

Have you sat back and thought of all of the accomplishments you’ve had throughout your lifetime? When thinking on them, do you find yourself smiling and being proud? ABSOLUTELY!! You’re supposed to be proud of EVERY-SINGLE-ACCOMPLISHMENT.

I know, for me, I use to sit and analyze the things that went wrong in the process vs. what was actually accomplished. Think about what could’ve worked, what if I did it a different, maybe it would’ve been better and so on. I was that person who would get a compliment and instead of coming out right and saying, “Thank You”, I would actually downplay what they were complementing me on.

I use to think it was me being humble and by actually accepting the pride, I would seem arrogant and prideful…Was I the only one thinking that way? Nope, in fact a lot of women tend to downplay complements or accomplishments by saying things like:

Compliment: I Love your dress Response: Oh, it’s old and has a rip but Thanks
Compliment: You look great, have you lost weight? Response: You think so, I have a long way to go
Compliment: Your nails are amazing! Response: It’s actually time for a fill and they look old
Compliment: You did an Awesome Job on that presentation Response: I hated my voice, I was trembling the whole time, it sucked.

GIRL BYE!! Take the compliment and just say Thank You.

Pretty Dope, Short-Sleeve Unisex T-Shirt

If you worked hard for something, even if you didn’t reach the goal YOU wanted as of yet but you accomplished something… take the compliment.

Who really cares about what’s going wrong, what you haven’t done yet, or how you had to improvise to get there. You did it, You got this far…Take the Compliment.

As a matter of fact… PAT YO’SELF ON THE BACK for everything!!

You work hard and get to treat yourself… Pat Yo’self
You accomplished that goal or you’re almost there…Pat Yo’self
You’re handling your business like a BOSS, after all the hardwork no one ACTUALLY sees…Pat Yo’self
You’re rocking multiple titles, Wife/Mom and everything in between…Pat Yo’Self

For me, I never realized I did any of that. I never applauded myself for what I’ve accomplished. It was always… I haven’t done…, I have to still…, I could’ve…, I was supposed to…

Listen, once I came to this realization, that’s when I looked at myself in the mirror and just flat out said… “STOP BEING SO DAG’ON NEGATIVE!!”

I was too busy trying to replicate the wins of others. I was too busy thinking of what others would say or think about what I have or have not done. I was just so dag’on busy with all of that internal negativity, that I never really applauded myself for what I’ve done right. I’ve been blessed to make it to 40 years old and I have done some pretty cool things. The old me, would not have seen any of the coolness, just what went wrong.

I had to learn to leave that negative chic alone and work on being my own cheerleader, all while listening to my own advise. My intuition took over and led me into a more positive happier, and Goal crushing me.

So, Stop the internal negativity , Pat Yo’self and keep on being Dope.

-J. Robinson, Dope Chic

She tried it…Bourbon Chicken in 30

Ok check it, every once in awhile I will post something I’ve never tried before and let you know how it turned out. The posts will always start with “She tried it”.

So this week, I took a virtual cooking lesson with Hustle with Tasha. She offers online lessons on things such as cooking and fun DIY projects. This week the class was, “Cooking with Tasha.”

I was excited to join because, as you know, I loooovvve 30 mins or less meals. I’m super busy, but still gotta feed the family. So, she taught me how to make Bourbon Chicken from scratch.

Before the lesson, you receive the list of ingredients:

Ingredients Needed:

2 lbs boneless chicken pieces, olive oil or vegetable oil, salt, pepper and whatever seasoning u like for ur chicken, minced garlic
Small apple juice, brown sugar, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, water, low sodium soy sauce, cornstarch, rice (whatever kind you like)

The lesson was fast, interactive and fun! I’m not gonna ruin it by telling you Everything during the lesson… you just gotta join to find out. However, You can follow her on Facebook @Hustle With Tasha. Hustle With Tasha

I was just excited because I found another 30 mins or less recipe that came out delicious for my squad.

Side note, we also had smoked turkey wings (chopped ). I mixed my corn with my rice and cooked them together IN the rice cooker… had to find a way to get them to eat their veggies. Easy clean up by using paper products…

30 mins or less annnd not washing many dishes!!! A win for a Sunday!!!

– J. Robinson, Dope Chic

Unapologetically YOU Boo…

Do you find yourself apologizing for little things that you have NO reason to apologize for?

Your hairstyle making someone uncomfortable.
Your T-shirt making someone feel a certain way.
What about you running your business and someone tries to make you feel bad because of YOUR prices??

Here’s the thing, if it’s not illegal-immoral-or unethical then what’s the problem?

You wanted to try a new style because it was FLY to YOU. It made YOU feel good right? Whats the problem?

You were digging that T-shirt and decided to rock it for YOU… What’s the problem?

You went into business to make a profit, unless you’re a NON-profit but even they have to charge or ask for donations to keep the lights on right?

What👏🏽is👏🏽the👏🏽problem?

There have been a long list of haters throughout history, so this “Hater” trend will never end.

You know like I do, that there will always be someone on the sidelines mad, disgruntled, or just feel they MUST say something to you about… WHATEVER!

Thing is, in all reality, they are just mad at themselves for NOT taking the plunge and doing it themselves.

If that’s not the case, it may be because they FEEL a certain way and it “grinds their gears”…

SO WHAT!! Be YOU Boo!!

Be UNAPOLOGETIC and live the life you want. Silence the Haters with your Successes.

We only have one life…LIVE IT BABY!! Find out what makes YOU smile. Do something that make you WANT to get up in the morning and be excited about.

Don’t apologize for being you…JUST BE YOU… Stop apologizing for YOUR HAPPINESS…

– J. Robinson, Dope Chic

You gotta push yourself…

Good Thursday Morning!!! Waking up to the birds chirping, nice breeze through the window, and relaxing in bed make me want to just roll over and…STAY IN BED.

The thing is, I’ve made a 5 day plan to get in a minimum of 3.5 miles in daily. I’ve gotten to 5 miles a day and that endorphin drip right there starts my day off right.

However, there are days I’m JUST NOT FEELING IT. However, I push myself to get up and get moving.

Pushing yourself, for many, could be a simple motivational quote, a song, or you just telling yourself to move.

For me, I need visuals…

See the Thick chic to the right, in the grey top…That’s me. Laughing and joking with my girls. I had NO CLUE I actually looked like this. I really gave up on myself and didn’t pay attention to what I needed to do for me.

Fast forward to 2020, 162 pounds lighter and focused on making sure I DO NOT RETURN to that place. At the time, there were a lot of things going on, Depression-Heartache-Complete Unhappiness- and absolutely no focus to do better for myself. You really couldn’t tell from the laughter in the picture, my girls always had my back and made me laugh. Either way, this picture reminds me to get up and take care of me.

This is the type of visual/motivation I use to get up and push myself. Funny thing is, once I’m up and moving, I feel sooo much better when I’m done. Those endorphins make me feel as if I can conquer the world, at least for the day :).

So what’s your motivation? What gets you moving? I’m sure you were like me with alll the excuses in the world:

Healthy food is expensive when you have to shop for a family.
My knees hurt
I’m tired
I don’t have the right gym clothes
I don’t like working out alone
I’ll start on a Sunday, to get a FULL week.

The list goes on but, you can push yourself to get moving! Try these simple activities, 5 days a week, for at least 30 mins a day, and you will feel the difference:

Walk in your neighborhood 15 mins in the morning, 15 mins at night (or more) if you can.
Play outside with the kids; kickball, soccer, hide n seek
Go for a walk with your boo after dinner.
Join a virtual Zumba class
Pull up 30 min dance classes on YouTube
Join a gym (when they open) and do 15 min cardio or participate in the classes
Take a pole/exotic dance class
Find a fun workout that will get you moving at home.
Ask a friend to workout with you, that will keep you on a schedule and accountable.

These are just a few ideas to get you up and moving. Give yourself a goal and make a plan to get moving. Once you start, you’ll find that your body will begin to crave the activity.

ATTENTION: working out is only half of the solution. You will need to change your diet as well!!

That’s another post for another day, for now, JUST GET MOVING!!!

Trust me, when you make time for yourself, to make a change, the rewards are SUPER SWEET!!!

– J. Robinson, Dope Chic